This invention is related to an eyewear, and more particularly to a main and an auxiliary eyewear each having magnets at lens retaining mechanisms thereof for attachment.
Auxiliary frames with lenses have been used for decades to augment deficiencies in main frames. For example, the auxiliary frames may be for magnifying purposes, or may transform the main frames into sunglasses.
For decades, people around the world have been creating numerous ingenious methods to attach the auxiliary frames onto the main frames. In one line of approaches, the auxiliary frames are clipped onto the lenses of the main frames. Not only do such clips obstruct the wearer""s vision, they may scratch the lenses of the main frames. To alleviate the defect of view obstruction, there are designs using small clips at the edges of the frames. However, these small clips still create scratches on the lenses and the main frames; and attaching these auxiliary frames with small clips requires some maneuvering with two hands, and it would not be easy to do so, for example, if one is driving. Also, to detach such an auxiliary frame from its main frame, one typically have to push down at its bridge and warp the frames outward on both sides of the lenses. It is not uncommon for such actions to permanently deform the auxiliary frame.
Another approach uses two pairs of magnets instead of clips, with one pair on the main frame and the other on the auxiliary frame. The magnets are located on the plane of the lenses, and are close to the temples of the frames. Since they are on the plane of the lenses, they have to be carefully designed so that they can blend into the general style of the frame, without being too conspicuous. One way is to make the magnets very small. With gravity pulling the auxiliary frame away from its main frame, the magnets have to be of certain size so as to have sufficient magnetic power to hold the auxiliary frame to the main frame.
One reason for the magnets to be close to the temples is that the pair of magnets on a frame should be as far apart as possible. This is to ensure the auxiliary frame to be right over the main frame, not only at the locations close to the bridges of the frames, but also at the locations close to the arms of the frames. However, in order to have sufficient coupling power, the magnets on the auxiliary frame have to match in both locations and orientations to the magnets on the main frame. This is not an easy task especially because the magnets are typically very small for stylistic reasons.
The further away the pair of magnets are on a frame, the more difficult it is to align them in both locations and orientations to magnets on another frame. First, imagine the magnets in a main frame are slightly off in locations from those in an auxiliary frame. Since the magnets are quite small, slight misalignment in the locations would significantly reduce magnetic coupling between the frames. Next, imagine one small magnet in the main frame is different in orientation from its corresponding magnet in the auxiliary frame. This can happen, for example, if the auxiliary frame has been slightly twistedxe2x80x94the magnitude of the difference is proportional to the distance between the pair of magnets on the frame. Two magnets may not even be able to couple together if they have different orientations. Misalignment in locations or orientations not only adversely affects the coupling power of the auxiliary frame to the main frame, but also creates an unpleasant outward appearance for the wearer, especially when the auxiliary frame is tilted relative to the main frame.
Another defect with providing the magnets on the temples is that, means cannot be provided to allow the auxiliary frames to flip up, such that the user must remove the auxiliary frames when one does not intend to use the auxiliary frames. There is a higher probability that the user will lose the auxiliary frames by removing the auxiliary frames from the main frames.
To solve the above problems, one solution is to provide attachment mechanisms on nose bridges of the main and auxiliary frames, where the attachment mechanism may include a single pair of magnets on the nose bridges of the main and auxiliary frames such that a flipping mechanism may be added to the auxiliary frames, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089708. However, the attachment mechanisms provided on the nose bridges along result in a weaker structure and unsteady attachment between the main and auxiliary frames than the attachment mechanisms provided on at least two distant locations of the eyewear.
It should be apparent from the foregoing that there is a need for improved apparatus to attach auxiliary frames to main frames so that auxiliary frames can be easily, firmly and elegantly attached to main frames and allowing flipping of the auxiliary frame if needed.
The present invention provides apparatus to easily, firmly and elegantly attach auxiliary frames to main frames, based on magnets at the lens retaining mechanisms of the auxiliary eyewear. The invention has numerous advantages. For example, it creates a very strong support for attaching auxiliary frames to main frames by providing a pair of distant magnets on an attachment mechanism of the auxiliary frames, it is relatively easy to manufacture, it is easier to blend into the general design of frames, and it makes the auxiliary frames easily applicable to main frames even with just one hand.
In one embodiment, the auxiliary frames are of a simple construction that can be directly attached to or removed from the main frames.
In a further embodiment, the auxiliary frames are provided with a pivotal shaft allowing the user to flip up the auxiliary frames when one no longer needs the auxiliary frames.
Not only is the present invention more elegant, easier to design, easier to manufacture and more secure in attachment than prior art approaches; a person can easily use one hand to attach an auxiliary frame onto a main frame of the present invention.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following descriptions.